Bartosz Kontny

He specialises in the archaeology of the protohistoric period in Barbarian Europe, with a particular focus on weapons and warfare. His research interests also include ancient boatbuilding and underwater archaeology. 

He has led archaeological research at Lake Lubanowo in north-western Poland, Lake Hammersø on Bornholm, and, most recently, underwater investigations in the area of the ancient city of Ptolemais in Libya. He has also participated in archaeological research on several rivers, including the Biebrza, Supraśl, Pilica, Wisłok, Orzyc, and Uecker. 

He is the author of more than 180 scientific publications and the editor of several books, including the Światowit Supplement Series U: Underwater Archaeology. His major publications include Archaeology of War. Studies on Weapons of Barbarian Europe in the Roman and Migration Period (Brepols, Turnhout, 2023); The West Balt Circle Riders. Spurs and their Role in the Bogaczewo and Sudovian Cultures (Warsaw Studies in Archaeology 9, Brepols, Turnhout, 2025); and Nowinka Site 1. The Cemetery from the Late Migration Period in Northern Poland (Gdańsk–Warsaw, 2011), co-authored with Jerzy Okulicz-Kozaryn and Mirosław Pietrzak. 

He has been a KDP/CMAS diver since 1987 and an M2 instructor since 1992. He currently serves as Chairman of the KDP/CMAS Scientific Subcommittee. 

Title: Treasures in the Current: Underwater Archaeology of Polish Rivers

Rivers conceal numerous traces of human activity from the past within their beds. Exploring and studying these remains is one of the fascinating areas of underwater archaeology. 

In this presentation, an underwater archaeologist will take the audience on a journey through discoveries from Polish rivers and beyond. The talk will explore evidence of ancient settlements, fishing, bridges and transportation, as well as ritual offerings to the gods—including weapons—along with hidden treasures and even… graves discovered on riverbeds. 

Participants are invited to enter the world of the “Big Brown”—a playful reference to Luc Besson’s The Big Blue (Le Grand Bleu)—and discover not only the archaeological heritage hidden beneath the surface of rivers, but also the methods used to study and protect it.